The fastening of the rope portion of a water ski tow rope to the handle of the tow rope presents a particular problem because it is imperative that the rope does not detach from the handle during use or injury may result. Moreover, the fastening to the handle must be accomplished in such a manner so as not to interfere with the hands of the skier as he grips the handle. The area around the handle must be relatively smooth to avoid chafing the hands of the skier. It is also desirable to stiffen the rope directly adjacent to the handle to prevent it from accidentally winding about the fingers of the skier.
For example U.S. Pat. No. 3,092,068 illustrates a hand grip for a ski tow rope in which a knot is tied on the end of the rope and the knot is held within the inner diameter of the tubular handle. This manner of tieing a rope to the handle is not entirely foolproof, particularly if the knot is carelessly tied and the rope becomes slippery when wet. Furthermore no protection is provided for the hands of the skier against chafing from the rope or from winding about the finger of the skier.